Your Views

CK SCHOOLS

'Pantsing' coach should be gone

To the Editor:

Regarding the story "Coach gets warning for pantsing":

Once again our school administration fails to look out for the welfare of our children. I am totally shocked that coach Denise Baxter, Central Kitsap girls basketball coach, still has a job teaching and leading our children. This is 2004 and an incident like this should not be tolerated -- period.

The school board says: "The staff member expresses remorse, and we feel this will never happen again." Of course she expressed remorse. However, the remorse probably was because someone had the intestinal fortitude to come forth and inform the administration, not because of what she actually did to the student.

Taxpayers are continually asked to vote to raise property taxes for our local schools. For what purpose? As leaders and mentors of our children we should be teaching them to speak the truth and speak out against incidents like this pantsing issue.

Wayne Evans' recent letter should give us all pause ... what if this was a male teacher or a coach with a loosing record? Would they still have a job teaching and leading our children? I think not.

District officials, don't use the threat of reducing or eliminating athletic programs in our schools next time you want us to vote for tax increases. With this kind of support on the court, I would rather see the students in the classrooms -- and I will be hard-pressed to vote for any tax increase.

Roy Covey

Silverdale

POLITICS

Too many bullies

To the Editor:

Bullies like Saddam Hussein, Hitler and Castro will always exist. That thousands support their evil is completely disturbing.

Bullies exist everywhere. All bullies stereotype and denigrate others. Because such people think in stereotypes, they see no human faults in their idols and they see no value in those they negatively stereotype, especially anyone who disagrees with them. They mentally perceive only in black and white in a very colorful world.

Judges illegally making laws instead of properly interpreting laws is bullying. Judges illegally make laws the majority would never approve of. The executive and legislative branches of government make laws, not the judiciary. Only one Supreme Court vote kept Al Gore from becoming president through judicial activism.

A media that distorts truth, lies outright and whitewashes evil is like having no free press. Today, we see contradictory information on almost every subject imaginable. One does not know what to believe.

Bullies do not sanctify human life. Where human life has sanctity, no mass graves exist. When any person becomes disposable, and a person includes unborn children, then we all become disposable.

Bullies defend bullies.

Rose Fagerness

Poulsbo

HOMELESS SHELTER

Family neighborhood isn't a good location

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter out of great concern for both my church and my community regarding the proposed homeless men's shelter in Bremerton.

I am greatly distressed at the news that the Catholic Community Services and Sister Pat Millen, OSF are attempting to put a neighborhood and young families at great risk in the name of "Christianity" and the Catholic Church.

I am not a NIMBY and strongly suggest that the property be sold and the proceeds be used to work with the current organizations already in place in Bremerton and Kitsap County with appropriate locations to develop a suitable facility in a suitable location.

The facility where I currently work is used as temporary housing for the homeless, and I am well aware of the nature of the people that would be housed there and their needs. A neighborhood of families does not have the resources to deal with a facility of this nature. There is an answer to the problem, and it can be addressed.

The fact that this is even being considered by the Department of Community Development and the permitting and land-use departments in the city is outrageous.

The mayor and county commissioners need to step in and create a win-win situation for their residents, as in tax-paying, as well as the drug addicts they are attempting to help.

Mary Gardner

Bremerton

PIT-TO-PIER PROJECT

Thanks for speaking up, Dicks and Cantwell

To the Editor:

Too often we forget to thank our elected officials for their efforts on our behalf. My sincere thanks go to U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell for stepping forward to speak against the Fred Hill "pit-to-pier" project.

Both these folks can see what the future will bring if they allow our beautiful Hood Canal to fall prey to this travesty in the making. The endangerment to our floating bridge is a real fear for us who saw what the loss of it could do for both Jefferson and Kitsap counties. The potential pollution of the Canal is a close reality for both our counties. The loss of our wildlife and fisheries is very possible.

Fred Hill will somehow get their gravel and probably make millions or billions. It's their gravel, but our area that is in danger. Let the world get gravel somewhere else and let those who wish to rape our land go somewhere else; we don't need them here.

I knew the senior Fred Hill and respected him. I don't believe for a minute that he would have let this pit-to-pier project go this far. I'm glad to see elected officials such as Norm Dicks and Maria Cantwell stand up and be counted for what they believe.

The Rev. Donald N. Moore

Port Ludlow

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